Improvement in apparatus for reducing cereals into flour



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VANRRYERSON APPARATUS FOR REDUCINGCEREALS INTO FIILO'U'R.v No. 189,959.Patented'April 24., 187%.

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VAN BUREN RYERSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR REDUCING CEREALS INTO FLOUR- Specifioationforming part of Letters Patent No. 189,959, dated April 24, 1877;application filed June 6, 1876.

To all whom tit-may concern I Be it known that I, VAN BUREN RYERsoN,

of the city, county, and State of New York,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machinery forReducing Oereals into Flour, and other substances into powder, of whichthe following is a specification:

My machinery, when applied, for example, to the reduction of grain intoflour, involves a novel mode of operation, which is distinguishable fromall previously known processes or methods in this, that it does notconsist mainly in crushing the kernels between revolvinggrinding-surfaces, or pulverizing them by causing them to impinge withgreat violence upon or against a resisting-surface, or reducing them topowder by the process of percussion. While some one or all of theseprocesses may be, and probably are incidentally, partially involved inthe operation of my machinery, its operative value consists,essentially, in causing the kernels to be rubbed upon each other as theresult of a rotary movement induced by a succession of eddies orreactionary air-currents in opposition to the direction in which thegrains or particles of grain are at high velocity moving, whereby eachkernel or particle of matter composing it, having a rotary motion on itsown axis given to it, at the same time that it has a motion around afixed center, is rubbed upon or against other kernels or particles ofmatter having a similar motion, and thereby each layer of mattercomposing the kernels of grain, from the outer integument to the core,is successively unrolled, and not crushed, torn, or broken, as is theresult of all previous processes of milling, which necessarily involvethe tearing of the grain by grinding, the bursting of it by impact, orpulverizing it by percussion, such results being essentially due to theoperation of all mechanism heretofore employed inthe art of milling.

I have exhibited in the drawings forming a part of this specificationthe machinery which I have successfully employed.

A A A represent a series of circular metallic cases, each aboutthreefeet in interior diameter, all connected together by suitable pipes ofcommunication, as hereinafter explained, and each suitably supported bya pedestal-base upon a common bed-plate. The interior arrangement andconstruction of the several cases is the same, and a description of oneis a description of all.

B represents a shaft, which extends through the central axis of thevertical side plates of each case, and is mounted in suitablejournalbearings C, surmounting supporting columns or standards. As eachshaft requires a driving-pulley, D, which must be located so that thedriving-belt will not interfere with any other one, the standards forsupporting the bearings for the shafts may be locatedv as shown in thetop or plan view, Fig. 2, or in anyother preferred way which will enablethe driving-power to be most conveniently applied to each of the shafts.

Each shaft B carries a disk, E, set in a vertical plane midway betweenthe two walls of the case to which it belongs. The outline of this diskis shown at Figs. 1 and 3, and is of a figure which results from cuttingthe disk on four radial lines, equidistant from each other, to the depthof five inches, more or less, from the edge toward the center, and thenremovingsegments of the disk, commencing at a point ten to twelveinches, more or less, measured on the periphery, and extending on acurved line to the bottom of the next preceding radial cut. This givesto the disks the spider form shown in the drawings.

-The portions of the disk which are concentric with the inner peripheryof the case are provided with sections of a rim or web, a a a a, Figs.1,3, and 4, of a width, with suitable allowance for clearance, equal tothe distance between the sides of the case. The surface of thesesections of rim, except at the sides, (which are left of full thicknessfor a distance of an inch or more,) is dressed with a series of notches,as shown at Figs. 1, 3, 4, and 5. The object of not having theratchet-like surface extend from side to side is to prevent the grain,as it is being reduced to flour, from being thrown against the sides ofthe case, and thus the sections of rim a are provided with side piecesto stop off the channels which would otherwise be formed by thedressing, as seen in perspective at Fig. 4.

The edges of the radial cuts in the diskplates E are furnished withheaters 12 b b b which are of the same width as the sections of rim a,and mayhavetheir faces similarly dressed.

The inner periphery of each case is "provided with a stationary ring ofsteel, 0, whose width is equal to the distance between the sides of thecase, and whose surface is ratchetdressed, ,as' shown at Figsrl, 3, and5. It will be observed, however, that the angle of the dressing is thereverse of that which belongs to the dressing on the sections of rim or,a a a, so that the disk-plate, in revolving, always moves in a directionaway from the radial faces of the dressingscores in the ring 0.

It is nowto be understood that the cereal to be reduced to flour is tobe supplied to the first mill in the series from a suitable source ofsupply, in quantity to be regulated by the capacity of the apparatus andthejudgment of the miller. The grain is introduced on both sides of thedisk E at the same time, through pipes F, at a point near the centt-rofthe disk, and it is also to be understood that the several millscomposing theseries are in communication with each other by means ofpipes G G, leading from one to the other from both sides, as shownclearly at Figs. 1 and 2. The operation of the apparatus is as follows:Each one of the disks E in the series is made to revolve within its caseat a very I high degree of velocity, and at a rate progressivelyincreasing throughout the series. I have found that the first diskshould be revolved at the rate of from about seventeen hundred to twothousand revolutions per 1ninute,'the second disk at the rate of fromabout two thousand to twenty-five hundred per minute, and the third diskat the rate of from about twenty-five hundred to three thousand perminute. If any additional number of mills compose the series, the speedof rotation of such additional mills should be increased in about thesame proportion.

v The effect of the rotation of the first disk in the series is to drivethe air in front of the heaters b b b b, at the same ratio of speed atwhich the disk revolves. Between the dressed faces of the sections ofrim or a a a and the dressed surface of the stationary ring 0 there is abroken annular space, varying from half an inch to an inch and a half inthickness, and in width equal to the distance between the sides of thecase.

The rapid rotation of the heaters b b, causing a rotation of the centralbody of air in the case, produces a reactionary effect upon the belt ofair lying between the path of revolution of the sections of rim a a andthe broken surface of the ring a. This belt of air, if it were notconfined by the circular rim of the case, would be moved at highvelocity in tangential lines in a direction the reverse of that in whichthe disk is revolving; but being confined by thecircular rim it is madeto revolve circularly in such direction, the reverse of the direction inwhich the heaters revolve, The importance of the dressing on the innersurface of the ring 0 will now be understood. It is not for the purposeof performing the func- "tion which is performed by the dressing on thestones of a grinding-mill, but its purpose is to present a succession ofsurfaces radial, or nearly so, to the circle in which the belt of airrevolves, against which the current of air impinging shall be broken upinto eddies or whirl pools, which, while severally revolving on'theirown axes, have also a path of revolution or planetary movement around acommon center. This is illustrated at w :11, Fig. 5.

The grain to be reduced to flour, so soon as it enters the mill A, fliesoutward toward the periphery of the case, moving infthe direction of thearrow y, Fig. 5. Here it; is taken up by the revolving belt of whirlingair-eddies w m, and each grain or particle of matter composing it isrotated violently on its own axis, and thereby its exterior surface isrubbed against the surfaces of other grains and particles, and by theattrition of the grains or par. ticles of matter uponeach other thesubstance of the kernel is reduced to flour.

The sections of rim a, are from two to twelve inches, more or less, inlength, andv are con.- centric with the interior periphery of the case.It is important that these sections should be as long as possible, andexcept that it is'in dispensable that space for the passage of the grainoutward from the center toward the periphery of the case should exist,it would be well to have the, peripheral rim of the disk E continuousinstead of broken into sections; and this feature of construction ,ofthe disk distinguishes the revolving disk whiohI employ from therevolving disks employed in mills heretofore known for reducing rockandores, inasmuch as the grain, during the process of reduction to flour,is practically upheld by the sections of rim a, and keptlwithin theinfluence of the revolving eddying air-current above mentioned.

The pressure of the air within the case induced by the rotation of thedisk E, causes the material which has been operated on by the first millor member in the series to be conveyed, through the discharge-pipes G Ginto the next mill in the series, and from this it is conveyed into thenext mill, and so on throughout the series; the material being operatedupon by each successivemill in the same manneras by the first oneintheseries, with the exception that the velocity at which the disk revolvesineach succeeding mill exceeds considerably the velocity with which thedisk of the next preceding mill revolves, and consequentlythe grainwhich is in pro cess of reduction into flour is, by the combined forceof pressure from the one member of the series, and suction from the next.61 1. her, delivered to each progressively through out the series underan increased pressure.

While I have found that the ring 0, having a ratchet-formed innerperiphery formed into a succession of radial surfaces, as above described, accomplishes the result of creating (when the disk isrevolving) a great number of whirls or eddies, I know that the sameresult can be produced by causing air to be forced into the case in jetsthrough a succession of openings entering the circular rim of the millradially, so as to break up the continuity of the revolving belt of airbetween the inner periphery of the circular rim and the revolving disk,and this arrangement would be a modification of the mechanical means foremploying my process.

I have described my machinery with especial reference to the conversionof cereals into flour. It is evident, however, that the same machinerymay, without substantial change, be employed for reducing into powdervarious other substances and materials.

By my machinery described I have been enabled to convert wheat intoflour with a set of three of these mills, such as described, at the rateof sixty to ninety bushels per hour, and as the flour, whenit isdischarged from the last mill in the series, is perfectly cold, (therebydemonstrating that the operations of percussion or impingement whichdevelop heat have not in any material degree been involved,) I amenabled to discharge the flour while under pressure directly intoan'apparatus for bolting it. An arrangement for this purpose is shown atFigs. 6, 7, and 8 of the drawings, in which the flour is, under a veryhigh degree of pressure, thrown through the discharge-pipe G into thebolt H. The air, after it entersthe bolt, expands and drives the flourthrough the meshes of the bolt into the chamber I, and from thence, bythe aid of a suction fan, J, the air is drawn out of the chamber I andinto the supplementary chamber L, and finally blows out past the endourtain d. The specific gravity of the flour being greater than that ofthe air in the chamber I, the flour falls down'upon an endless conveyor,K, by which it is carried away and discharged in the usual way, and ifany flour is carried over into the chamber L it will, in like manner,fall and be collected and discharged by the ;con-

veyer K. The bran is also discharged from flour, or other substancesinto powder, sub-' stantially as described, the combination of acircular case, the interior periphery of which is provided with asuccession of abrupt faces, as described, with a revolving disk havingradial heaters, and provided with sections of rims, having also asuccession of abrupt faces, as described.

2. The combination, with the circular case of a milling-machine, asdescribed, of a revolving disk having radial heaters, as described, andprovided with sections of a rim, as described.

3. The combination of machinery, substantially as described, forreducing cereals to flour, substantially as described, with suitablemachinery, as described, for bolting flour, whereby the flour isdischarged from the mill under blast-pressure directly. into the bolt,substantially as specified.

VAN BUREN RYERSON. Witnesses:

THOMAS F. GOSGROVE, J. G. B. Woons.

